Mitigating Agricultural Emissions of Methane

Agricultural crop and animal production systems are important sources and sinks for atmospheric methane (CH4). The major CH4 sources from this sector are ruminant animals, flooded rice fields, animal waste and biomass burning which total about one third of all global emissions. This paper discusses the factors that influence CH4 production and emission from these sources and the aerobic soil sink for atmospheric CH4 and assesses the magnitude of each source. Potential methods of mitigating CH4 emissions from the major sources could lead to improved crop and animal productivity. The global impact of using the mitigation options suggested could potentially decrease agricultural CH4 emissions by about 30%.     

Metal-residence sites in lavas and tuffs from Volcán Popocatépetl, Mexico: implications for metal mobility in the environment

 Volcan Popocatépetl is a Quaternary stratovolcano located 60 km southeast of Mexico City. The summit crater is the site of recent ash eruptions, excess degassing, and dacite dome growth. The modern cone comprises mainly pyroclastic flow deposits, airfall tephras, debris flows, and reworked deposits of andesitic composition; it is flanked by more mafic monogenetic vents. In least-degassed fallout tuffs and mafic scoria, transition metals are concentrated in phases formed before eruption, during eruption, and after eruption. Preeruptive minerals occur in both lavas and tephra, and include oxides and sulfides in glass and phenocrysts. The magmatic oxides consist of magnetite, ilmenite, and chromite; the sulfides consist of both (Fe,Ni)_1-xS (MSS) and Cu–Fe sulfide (ISS). Syn- and posteruptive phases occur in vesicles in both lavas and tephra, and on surfaces of ash and along fractures. The mineral assemblages in lavas include Cu–Fe sulfide and Fe–Ti oxide in vesicles, and Fe sulfide and Cu–Fe sulfide in segregation vesicles. Assemblages in vesicles in scoria include Fe–Ti oxide and rare Fe–Cu–Sn sulfide. Vesicle fillings of Fe–Ti oxide, Ni-rich chromite, Fe sulfide, Cu sulfide, and barite are common to two pumice samples. The most coarse-grained of the vesicle fillings are Cu–Fe sulfide and Cu sulfide, which are as large as 50 μ in diameter. The youngest Plinian pumice also contains Zn(Fe) sulfide, as well as rare Ag–Cu sulfide, Ag–Fe sulfide, Ag bromide, Ag chloride, and Au–Cu telluride. The assemblage is similar to those typically observed in high-sulfidation epithermal mineralization. The fine-grained nature and abundance of syn- and/or posteruptive phases in porous rocks makes metals susceptible to mobilization by percolating fluids. The abundance of metal compounds in vesicles indicates that volatile exsolution prior to and/or during eruption played an important role in releasing metals to the atmosphere. Received: March 1997 · Accepted: 27 May 1997     

A2和B2排放情景下气候变化对福建省水稻生产的阶段性影响

选择IPCC排放情景特别报告(SRES)中的A2和B2方案,利用区域气候模式PRECIS构建的气候变化情景文件与作物模型(CERES-Rice)耦合,采用雨养与灌溉两种方式,并综合考虑未来CO2浓度增加带来的直接增益效应,模拟了未来2020s及2040s两个时段气候变化对福建省水稻生育期与产量的影响。结果表明:无论是雨养方式还是灌溉方式,未来全省各稻区水稻生育期都将缩短,并且随着温度增高,2040s时段缩短的时间较2020s更长,单季稻生育期缩短时间最长,可达15~20 d。雨养条件下,除了闽东南双季稻区后季稻在2020s时段表现为2.3%(A2)和3.1%(B2)较小幅度的增产外,其他稻区各种稻作制度下的水稻产量较之BASE均出现了不同幅度的减产。闽西北稻区后季稻减产幅度最大,2020s时段A2和B2情景下减产幅度依次为6.9%和10.2%,2040s时段减产幅度进一步加大至14.1%和15.6%。闽东南稻区后季稻模拟结果较为乐观,尤其是在灌溉条件下表现为不同幅度的增产,两种情景下分别增产了1.7%、3.9%。双季稻种植区的后季稻产量稳定性均不如早稻和单季稻的,且随着温度升高,到2040s产量不稳定性有增加的趋势。灌溉在一定程度上可以缓解未来高温天气带来的产量波动。从全省的总产变化趋势来看,A2和B2两种排放情景模拟的结果都不容乐观,即使采用充分灌溉的方式,也依旧表现为减产。2020s时段,两种情景下分别减产0.74%与2.44%;2040s时段,两种情景下减产为3.50%与3.23%。未来早稻和单季稻生长季的土壤水分条件将变得不如目前湿润,与之相关的灌溉需要量均有所增加。     

Measurements of stable carbon isotopic composition of ethane and propane over the western North Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean: A useful indicator of atmospheric transport process

Stable carbon isotopic composition of ethane and propane over the western North Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean between 31°N and 26°S was investigated from February through March 2004. The isotopic composition of ethane ranged from −28 to −18‰ and showed a gradual increase from north to south. Conversely, that of propane was between −31 and −24‰; it showed no systematic latitudinal variation. Investigation of the ethane/propane ratio indicates that ethane and propane that originated from northern mid-latitude countries in the eastern part of Eurasia were both transported into the western North Pacific region. However, the results of the isotopic analyses indicate the contribution of oceanic emission to the atmospheric propane during transport, although that contribution can not be discerned for ethane. A ship based stationary observation conducted in the western equatorial North Pacific showed that the isotopic composition of ethane varied from −25 to −19‰ and showed clear systematic diurnal variation: propane ranged between −32 to −26‰ and no such isotopic diurnal signal was observed. The diurnal variation for ethane is explained by entrainment of free tropospheric air, whereas the variation for propane was influenced by oceanic emissions as well as the entrainment. The contribution of oceanic emissions to the atmospheric propane inventory was considered from our isotopic observation. Isotopic composition of dissolved propane is estimated to be less than −38‰, and the contribution up to 79% was calculated when the isotopic composition of dissolved propane is assumed to be −40‰. Our study demonstrates that isotopic analysis can be more useful than ratio-based analysis to improve our present understanding of transport processes, especially for impact of the oceanic emissions on the atmospheric distribution of low level C₂–C₅ non-methane hydrocarbons such as propane in the remote marine atmosphere.     

长江三角洲碳排放与植被覆盖耦合协调时空格局及影响因素分析

通过构建评价指标体系和分析框架,利用综合指数法、耦合协调度模型和灰色关联度模型分析2005―2017年长江三角洲（长三角）碳排放与植被固碳耦合协调时空变化特征及驱动因素,并模拟政府决策优先级对耦合协调度趋势的影响。结果表明：长三角碳排放空间集聚特征显著,基本形成了以长江沿线和长三角东南沿海区域为核心的沿江沿海高排放带;长三角碳排放与植被固碳耦合协调度具有明显的空间分异特征,呈现出南京-上海沿线一般失调区域为核心的圈层结构特征;植被覆盖综合评价值高于碳排放综合评价值的地区耦合协调度普遍较高,人口的集聚和变化、城市建设和能源消耗对耦合协调度影响最大;同时,政府决策的优先级会显著影响耦合协调趋势。     

Ecological Modernization or Aristocratic Conservation? Exploring the Impact of Affluence on Carbon Emissions at the Local Level

Social scientists have debated how affluence impacts carbon emissions at the national level. We conduct an exploratory study at the subnational level to expose another dimension of the affluence–emissions debate. Based on the notion of aristocratic conservation, we hypothesize that affluence is positively related to carbon emissions from consumption activities but negatively related to emissions from production activities. We test these hypotheses using county-level data in the United States for the year 2002. A spatial regression analysis demonstrates that median household income is positively associated with consumption-based emissions; nevertheless, we find evidence of an environmental inequality Kuznets curve in the relationship between median household income and production-based emissions. This finding suggests that the wealthiest counties are able to displace certain types of emissions, specifically those related to energy and industrial production. We discuss the theoretical and political implications of these results.     

县域尺度下能源产区能源消费碳排放强度空间分异——以陕西省榆林市为例

以能源产区陕西省榆林市的12个区县为研究单元,在Geo Da和Arc GIS等软件的支持下,结合趋势分析和空间统计方法,分析2005—2010年榆林县域尺度下的能源消费碳排放强度的空间格局特征与空间分异机制。榆林各区县能源消费碳排放强度水平差异明显,总体差异呈扩大趋势,两极分化加剧。县域碳排放强度南北走向上表现出逐渐减小趋势,东西走向上具有微弱的"U"型变化态势。总体上,东北部区县碳排放强度高于西南部。各区县碳排放强度具有正的空间关联分布特征,且处于低水平非均衡空间分布状态,空间依赖性明显。结合相关性分析,榆林区县碳排放强度具有极化区、扩散区、塌陷区和传染区4个特征。"热点"主要分布在东北部三县,"冷点"主要分布于南部六县。能源资源分布不均、经济总量以及产业结构差异是造成榆林碳排放强度空间分布不均的主要原因。     

Verifying Fossil-Fuel Carbon Dioxide Emissions Forecasted by an Artificial Neural Network with the GEOS-Chem Model

In this study, the authors developed an en- semble of Elman neural networks to forecast the spatial and temporal distribution of fossil-fuel emissions （ff） in 2009. The authors built and trained 29 Elman neural net- works based on the monthly average grid emission data （1979-2008） from different geographical regions. A three-dimensional global chemical transport model, God- dard Earth Observing System （GEOS）-Chem, was applied to verify the effectiveness of the networks. The results showed that the networks captured the annual increasing trend and interannual variation of ff well. The difference between the simulations with the original and predicted ff ranged from -1 ppmv to 1 ppmv globally. Meanwhile, the authors evaluated the observed and simulated north-south gradient of the atmospheric CO2 concentrations near the surface. The two simulated gradients appeared to have a similar changing pattern to the observations, with a slightly higher background CO2 concentration, - 1 ppmv. The results indicate that the Elman neural network is a useful tool for better understanding the spatial and tem- poral distribution of the atmospheric C02 concentration and ft.     

Food choices,health and environment: Effects of cutting Europe's meat and dairy intake

Western diets are characterised by a high intake of meat, dairy products and eggs, causing an intake of saturated fat and red meat in quantities that exceed dietary recommendations. The associated livestock production requires large areas of land and lead to high nitrogen and greenhouse gas emission levels. Although several studies have examined the potential impact of dietary changes on greenhouse gas emissions and land use, those on health, the agricultural system and other environmental aspects (such as nitrogen emissions) have only been studied to a limited extent. By using biophysical models and methods, we examined the large-scale consequences in the European Union of replacing 25–50% of animal-derived foods with plant-based foods on a dietary energy basis, assuming corresponding changes in production. We tested the effects of these alternative diets and found that halving the consumption of meat, dairy products and eggs in the European Union would achieve a 40% reduction in nitrogen emissions, 25–40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and 23% per capita less use of cropland for food production. In addition, the dietary changes would also lower health risks. The European Union would become a net exporter of cereals, while the use of soymeal would be reduced by 75%. The nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of the food system would increase from the current 18% to between 41% and 47%, depending on choices made regarding land use. As agriculture is the major source of nitrogen pollution, this is expected to result in a significant improvement in both air and water quality in the EU. The resulting 40% reduction in the intake of saturated fat would lead to a reduction in cardiovascular mortality. These diet-led changes in food production patterns would have a large economic impact on livestock farmers and associated supply-chain actors, such as the feed industry and meat-processing sector.     

Improvement of groundwater resources potential by artificial recharge technique: A case study of Charf El Akab aquifer in the Tangier region,Morocco

In arid and semi-arid zones, water is the most vulnerable resource to climate change. In fact, various techniques such as artificial recharge are adopted to restore aquifers and to ensure aquifer sustainability in relation to the accelerated pace of exploitation. Morocco is a Mediterranean country highly vulnerable to climate change, many of its main aquifers are subjected to excessive drawdowns. This technique is practiced to increase potentiality of these aquifers. In the Northwestern area of Morocco, the significant development experienced by Tangier City in the industrial, tourism, and commercial sectors will lead to increased water requirements-up to 5 067 L/s (159.8 mm3) by 2030. However, the Charf El Akab aquifer system, subject to artificial recharge, is the only groundwater resource of Tangier region; hence, a rational management context is needed to ensure aquifer sustainability, and optimized exploitation under the background of differing constraints, such as increased water requirements, and climate change impacts. This work aims to respond, for the first time, to the Charf El Akab aquifer overexploitation problem, and to evaluate the future scenarios of its exploitation in the event of failure of one of the superficial resources. This work also presents a synthesized hydrodynamic modeling based on the results of the numerical simulations carried out using Feflow software for 2004 (date of cessation of injections) and 2011 (date of resumption of these facilities), making it possible to evaluate the impact of the artificial recharge on the piezometric level of the aquifer on a spatiotemporal scale. Finally, the exploitation scenarios have shown that the aquifer of Charf El Akab will not adequatly provide for the region's water requirements on the future horizon, entailing an optimal management of water resources in the region and an intentionally increased recharge rate.